Russian revolution

• Key Definitions:

  • Tsar: a title used to describe supreme leaders in Eastern Europe, including Russia up until 1917
  • Revolution: a forcible overthrow of the government by the people
  • Autocracy: a system of government where one person has complete power
  • Aristocracy: the highest class of Russian society, generally the noble family
  • Bourgeoise: the upper-middle class of Russian society, made up of bankers, lawyers, doctors, industrialists, business owners
  • Ideology: a system of ideas that make up a country's economic, social, and political way of life
  • Socialism: an ideology supporting the idea that production and consumption should be owned by the community
  • Communism: an ideology where all property is owned by the community and each person receives according to their needs
  • Capitalism: an ideology where property is owned by individuals rather than the community
• Class Structure in Russia:

  • Nobility: made up just 1% of the population but owned 25% of the land
  • Middle class: about 10% of the population, included bankers, lawyers, doctors
  • Urban workers: worked in factories in major cities, faced low wages, long hours, and poor living conditions
  • Peasants: made up about 80% of the population, lived difficult lives, worked from a young age, and faced starvation during bad harvests
• System of Government in Tsarist Russia:

  • Autocracy: Tsar Nicholas II had complete power without any parliament, people, or constitution to control him
  • Nationality: the Tsar had the responsibility to preserve the superiority of Russia through Russification
  • Orthodoxy: the Tsar and Russia were very Christian, with the Tsar seen as chosen by God himself
• Political Groups of the Time:

  • The Liberals: believed in a constitutional monarchy and reform, wanted a more democratic Russia
  • The Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs): mostly peasants, wanted a revolution to overthrow the Tsar and give land back to peasants
  • The Social Democrats (SDs): split into Mensheviks and Bolsheviks, with Bolsheviks led by Lenin, aiming for immediate revolution
• Vladimir Lenin:

  • Grew up in a middle-class family, drawn to Marxist ideology, altered it into Marxism-Leninism
  • Lenin's branch of communism was followed by Russia and then the USSR until 1991
• Causes of the 1905 Revolution:

  • Alexis de Tocqueville's comment on revolutions happening in times of rapid change and rising expectations
• Bloody Sunday:

  • On 7 January 1905, over 100,000 workers in St Petersburg went on strike demanding minimum wages and a limited working day
  • The crowd of 50,000 plus marched to the Winter Palace on 9 January 1905, where troops opened fire, killing between 100 and 200 people
  • Response to Bloody Sunday led to over 400,000 people on strike, order breaking down, and Russia descending into chaos
• Peter Stolypin:

  • Prime Minister from 1906-1911, assassinated in 1911
  • Strong supporter of autocracy and the Tsar, worked with the Duma to his advantage
  • Crushed uprisings, responsible for execution and exile of over 70,000 Russians
  • Seen as the last hope of the Tsar to prevent further revolutions
• Conclusion of the period:

  • By 1907, the Tsar had suppressed his opposition, rigged the Duma, and restored his power completely
  • Industry was growing at a rate of 7% per year, and agricultural productivity and efficiency were on the rise, indicating a possible survival of Tsarist Russia into the future
• Factors contributing to the Tsar's survival post-1905:

  • The loyalty of the army, who had surrendered from Japan and received benefits
  • The 1905 Revolution as a key cause of the 1917 revolutions, showing distrust between peasants and the middle class, and later between the middle class and the Tsar
• Tsar Nicholas II ascended to the throne of Russia in 1894, facing threats due to Russia's economic backwardness and the need to industrialize, alongside outdated political systems and his failure to work with the Duma
• The most significant threat to Tsar Nicholas II's rule was his own failures as a leader
• Reasons for Russia joining World War I:

  • To restore its reputation as a power following defeat to Japan in 1904-05 war
  • Distrust of German and Austro-Hungarian expansion
  • To honor its commitment to the Triple Entente and to Serbia
• Russian response to the war: a wave of patriotism swept the nation, the Tsar became the subject of nationalistic affection, and anti-German sentiment soared
• Russian army performance in the war was devastating, with poor leadership, supply problems, and shortages contributing to their poor performance
• Impacts of the war on soldiers: moral plummeted, desertions increased, and loyalty to the Tsar decreased significantly
• Impacts of the war on the homefront: prices increased, living standards decreased, and strikes became common due to economic hardships
• Grigori Rasputin, a Siberian Faith Healer, gained tremendous influence over the Tsar and Tsarina by seemingly being the only one who could treat the heir to the throne, Alexei
• The war effort caused severe economic and social hardship in Tsarist Russia, leading to disillusionment across all classes of society
• The February Revolution was a spontaneous revolution that began on February 23rd, International Women’s Day, with women marching in Petrograd peacefully complaining of workers being laid off and bread rationing
• The revolution escalated as female factory workers, tram drivers, and men from nearby factories joined in, resulting in 100,000 people involved in the marches on February 23rd and 250,000 protesting the following day
• In previous times of unrest, the Tsar had relied on the army to crush rebellion, but in 1917 soldiers and officers joined the protestors instead of following the Tsar's orders to shoot on the crowd, leading to the success of the February Revolution
• By 1917, 14 million Russians had been conscripted for war, with half being casualties, which contributed to soldiers and officers joining the protestors in disgust at the situation in Russia
• Results of the February Revolution include Nicholas II attempting to suspend the Duma, forming the Provisional Government on March 2, and the Petrograd Soviet and Provisional Government sharing power for the next 8 months
• The Provisional Government, formed on March 2, was not elected by the people but selected by the Duma to run the government until Russia's future government was decided
• The Petrograd Soviet, formed on February 27, was mostly composed of Mensheviks and aimed to protect workers and soldiers, passing 'Order Number 1' to protect soldiers who participated in the revolution
• The Petrograd Soviet did not take control of Russia as they saw themselves as a watchdog rather than a governing body, recognizing the Provisional Government and calling for support from workers and soldiers
• The Petrograd Soviet leaders, predominantly peasants, workers, and soldiers, believed it was not yet the time for the working class to take power and were inexperienced in governing, focusing on protecting the interests of workers and soldiers
• Nicholas II officially abdicated on March 2, 1917
• Following his abdication, a system of Dual-Power was set up where the Petrograd Soviet and the Provisional Government shared power
• Order Number One showed that the Petrograd Soviet was more powerful than the Provisional Government
• The Petrograd Soviet was the most powerful of any of the soviets in Russia
• For the first two months after the February Revolution, there was harmony between the Petrograd Soviet and the Provisional Government
• During this period, the Okhrana was disbanded, the death penalty was abolished, freedoms of speech and the press were established, discrimination was made illegal, and plans were made for a Constituent Assembly to determine the future of Russia
• Key issues for the Petrograd Soviet and Provisional Government included war, land distribution, social reform, treatment of national minorities, and economic challenges
• The Liberals, dominant in the Provisional Government, aimed to set up a sound democracy and continue the war
• The Socialists, dominant in the Soviet, believed more revolution was to come and wanted to cooperate with the Provisional Government
• Lenin's return in April 1917 marked a shift in Bolshevik policies towards immediate socialist revolution and an end to cooperation with the Provisional Government
• The July Days in 1917 saw workers and soldiers riot in Petrograd, demanding a new government, but the Soviet refused to take power
• Lessons from the July Days confirmed Lenin's belief in a disciplined party and the need for a mass movement to take power